RE: RE: Find an unprintable character inside a column....

Some people have requested this code, so I thought you might as well all have the chance to pick it to bits... Its a function called BAD_ASCII, and it hunts out for any ascii characters with an ascii value of less than 32 in a specified field. (Acknowledgments to my colleague Keith Holmes for help with this code.)

Use it as follows:

Where a field called DATA in a table TABLE_1 may contain an ascci character with a value less than 32 (ie a non-printing character), the following SQL will find the row in question:

select rowid,DATA,dump(DATA) from TABLE_1 where BAD_ASCII(DATA) > 0;

You could use the PK of the table instead of rowid, of course. You will also note that I select the DATA field in both normal and ascii 'dump' mode, the better to locate where the corruption is located.

peter
edinburgh

...................................

Source as follows:

Function BAD_ASCII
 (V_Text in char)
 return number
is
 V_Int number;
 V_Count number;
begin

--
V_Int   := 0;
V_Count := 1;
while V_Count<=length(rtrim(V_Text)) and V_Int=0
 loop
  if ascii(substr(V_Text, V_Count, 1))<32 then
   V_Int := V_Count;
  end if;
 V_Count := V_Count + 1;
end loop;
return V_Int;
--
exception
  when others then
    return -1;
end BAD_ASCII;
/

------------------------------------------



> -----Original Message-----

> From: Prem Khanna J [mailto:jprem_at_kssnet.co.jp]

> Sent: Thursday, October 09, 2003 10:49 AM

> To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L

> Subject: Re: RE: Find an unprintable character inside a column....

> 

> 

> Peter, i would be interested in that.

> can u mail it to me ?

> 

> Jp.

> 

> 09-10-2003 18:29:33, "Robson, Peter" <pgro_at_bgs.ac.uk> wrote:

> >I have a small PL/SQL piece of code used to detect these 

> things, if anyone

> >wants it.

> 

> 

> 

> -- 

> Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net

> -- 

> Author: Prem Khanna J

>   INET: jprem_at_kssnet.co.jp

> 

> Fat City Network Services    -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com

> San Diego, California        -- Mailing list and web hosting services

> ---------------------------------------------------------------------

> To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message

> to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in

> the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L

> (or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from).  You may

> also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).

> 



*********************************************************************
This  e-mail  message,  and  any  files  transmitted  with  it, are
confidential  and intended  solely for the  use of the  addressee. If
this message was not addressed to  you, you have received it in error
and any  copying,  distribution  or  other use  of any part  of it is
strictly prohibited. Any views or opinions presented are solely those
of the sender and do not necessarily represent  those of the British
Geological  Survey. The  security of e-mail  communication  cannot be
guaranteed and the BGS accepts no liability  for claims arising as a
result of the use of this medium to  transmit messages from or to the
BGS. .                            http://www.bgs.ac.uk
*********************************************************************

-- 
Please see the official ORACLE-L FAQ: http://www.orafaq.net
-- 
Author: Robson, Peter
  INET: pgro_at_bgs.ac.uk

Fat City Network Services    -- 858-538-5051 http://www.fatcity.com
San Diego, California        -- Mailing list and web hosting services
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To REMOVE yourself from this mailing list, send an E-Mail message
to: ListGuru_at_fatcity.com (note EXACT spelling of 'ListGuru') and in
the message BODY, include a line containing: UNSUB ORACLE-L
(or the name of mailing list you want to be removed from).  You may
also send the HELP command for other information (like subscribing).